


Lucky For Us

by gxxus



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, dumb gays, mentions of assault, some nsfw content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:14:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25302898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gxxus/pseuds/gxxus
Summary: Zack Fair is the most popular player on MU's football team and, unfortunately, Cloud's obnoxious downstairs neighbor. After finally gathering the courage to tell him to tone down his parties, Zack suddenly starts appearing everywhere he goes.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 26
Kudos: 143





	1. Chapter 1

If he had to deal with one more party, he was going to lose his sanity. Although, it was completely possible he had lost it already. His own roommates were loud enough, and even though they didn’t _mean_ to set him off, when the karaoke machine was dragged out of the closet, that was his cue to hole himself up in his room. And now, as the floor thumped endlessly beneath his bed, he fully considered asking all of his roommates to make as much noise as humanly possible in order to get his revenge. But that would only make it worse. There truly was no winning. Cloud groaned into the pillow that was smothering his face as if it was a barrier between him and the yelling. He tried to tune everything out, but the echoing smash of a bottle, and a loud “holy _shit_ bro!” finally drew him over the edge. 

“That’s it.” He muttered to no one, throwing his pillow onto the floor. He tugged on a sweatshirt, put on his slippers, and dramatically swung open his bedroom door, gaining the attention of Tifa who was laying on the couch with her phone. 

“I’m going down there.” He announced, grabbing his apartment keys. 

“Best of luck.” Tifa responded with a wave of her hand, “No offense, but I’m not sure a bunch of drunk frat guys will listen to you.” Cloud grimaced, now even more determined.

“Just you wait,” He opened the door, “It’ll be silent in two minutes.” 

“I’ll count on it!” 

Cloud closed the door with a _click_ behind him, took a deep breath, and quickly headed down the stairs. The music pounded in his ears the further he walked down the hallway. Did their neighbors seriously not say anything to them? Or did they try and get nowhere? Cloud had a sinking feeling that it was the latter. He approached the door hesitantly, already hearing the beer bottles and obnoxious screaming. He didn’t want anything to do with what was beyond the door, but it was now or never - he wasn’t sure the frustrated adrenaline would last much longer. He lifted his fist, said a quick prayer to who-knows-what, and hammered the door as loud as he could.

When no one answered, he pounded it again. He heard several shushes and bottles clattering around, and Cloud could only assume this wasn’t the first time someone tried to tell them off. The music instantly turned down and footsteps met him at the other side of the door. Cloud swallowed as the handle slowly turned - no turning back now. His gaze rose to the man who opened the door. Bright red hair in a low ponytail complimented an annoyingly smug smile on his face. It pissed Cloud off immediately. 

“What’s up?” The man asked, looking Cloud up and down.

Cloud’s hand instinctually fell to his hip. “I’m your upstairs neighbor.” 

His face immediately fell.

“Shit, uh.. I don’t actually live here.” 

“Then who does?” 

The man frantically turned around, motioning for someone else to come over. The rest of the room stood still except for one of the party-goers who sauntered towards the door, obviously buzzed. 

“Hey, sorry.” Cloud took note of his appearance in case this happened again. Long black hair, a dark grey hoodie, and a scar on his left cheek. The man rubbed the back of his head. “Are we being too- Woah.” 

Cloud scrunched his eyebrows. “What?” 

“You’re real pretty dude.”

“Excuse me?” 

Irritated, Cloud tapped his foot. He was sure this guy was just messing with him to distract from the problem at hand. 

“Look, can you just tone it down? I can’t sleep.”

“Yeah, no problem!” He responded. Cloud started to turn around, but stopped when his neighbor spoke again. “I’m Zack, by the way.” 

“I don’t care.” 

“Ah, gotcha. Nice to meet you!” 

_The feeling is anything but mutual._ He wanted to say, but he finished what he set out to do, so he ran back up the stairs without so much as a backwards glance towards Zack. He was especially bothered after that interaction. The first thing his asshole neighbor said to him this entire year was that he was _pretty?_

“What a piece of shit.” He mumbled, re-entering his apartment. Tifa was in the exact same position on the couch, but this time she looked up from her phone. 

“I’m surprised it’s actually quieter.” 

“He’s an asshole.” 

“Really?” 

“He had the balls to call me ‘pretty’ as soon as he looked at me. Who says that shit?”

“Was he drunk?”

“Very.” 

“That might explain it.” She set her phone down, “Was he at least cute?”

“Not with that douchey snapback.” 

Cloud hung his keys on the hook and pulled his hood over his head, tightening the strings. He hated being looked at in general, but the last thing he wanted was to be complimented by a frat boy of all people. He wished he could physically close himself off from the word _pretty_ which was endlessly bouncing around in his head. Frowning, he snagged a can of soda from the fridge and grumbled on the way to his room.

“Goodnight to you too Cloud!” Tifa called out from around the corner.

“Yeah yeah..” The can opened with a _pop_ , “Night, Tifs.” 

Now that his room was quiet enough, he could finally relax for the night. After setting the can on his desk, he plopped himself into his chair and slid on headphones under his hoodie. One knee pulled to his chest, Cloud opened his laptop, put on some music, and let himself scroll mindlessly through the depths of the internet as a means of distraction. To his dismay, that brief interaction with Zack kept poking at his consciousness. Cloud could only hope tonight would be the first and last conversation with his neighbor he would ever have to withstand.

* * *

Early morning shifts were a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the calm before the storm was strangely therapeutic. A few students walked through the campus store on their way to class, but he didn’t have to deal with any customers. He could fix some of the items on the shelves in peace. On the other hand, the coffee shop right past the store wasn’t open yet. And when it did open, the entire campus flooded to get in line. Which was, arguably, the worst part of his day. Hearing hundreds of conversations grating against his eardrums wore him down until he finally had the relief of clocking out. And he didn’t even get his fix of caffeine. 

Cloud was nearly drifting off thanks to the sun resting on his face, but he was quickly awoken by something hitting the counter in front of him. The back of his hand covered his mouth to hold back a yawn.

“Good morning.” He said, ringing up the textbook the girl had laid down. She was scrolling through her phone as he placed it in a bag. 

“Do you know when the coffee shop opens?” 

“It opens at eight.” 

“What time is it now?”

“It’s seven thirty. Your total is thirty-five dollars and fifty-two cents.” 

“Ugh. Why are textbooks so expensive?” 

_Why are you buying a textbook in the middle of the semester?_

“Mhm.” 

Cloud ripped off the receipt, dropped it in the bag, and watched the girl walk away without so much as a ‘thank you.’ This was going to be a long day. Luckily, most of the traffic through the store were students hurrying to class. The store was in the middle of campus in the student union, almost acting as a tunnel in a crowded city. If you needed to get somewhere quick, this was your best bet. And, admittedly, Cloud thought it was entertaining to see students dodge clothing racks and shelves filled with their school’s paraphernalia. 

The last customer during Cloud’s shift was a professor buying some small notebooks for their office, or something. His brain was starting to go foggy by the time the clock hit ten, and he had several hours of classes afterwards. He was just about finished with tidying up the counter when a cup was slid in front of him, almost tipping over if it weren’t for him grabbing it. His name was written sloppily in permanent marker on one side. 

“Glad I caught you before you left!” 

Aerith was beaming when he looked up. If he wasn’t so tired, maybe he would have smiled back. He leaned against the counter and took a sip, instantly feeling rejuvenated after just one dose of caffeine. 

“Glad you did too. Thanks, I needed this.” 

“I can tell. You look like a mess.” 

“I take back my thanks. You’re free to leave now.” Despite his serious tone, he couldn’t help but laugh through his nose. Aerith dramatically rolled her eyes and set her purse on the counter, reaching for something inside. A loud rustle revealed a small brown paper bag which was tossed in front of him. 

“I got you something sweet, too. I’ll take two ‘thank you’s now as payment.” 

Cloud peered inside and saw a sugary pastry that was all but calling his name. Somehow Aerith always knew what he needed when he was run down. And, scarily, Aerith always knew _when_ he was run down, even if no one told her. But he was grateful for it nonetheless. 

“Thank you, and thank you.” He said, putting the pastry bag into his backpack, “I’ll eat it in class.” 

“You’re very welcome! Figured you could use a pick-me-up.” 

Dying to get out of the cramped space behind the cash register, Cloud typed his employee code on the computer to clock out. 

“Can I come over later?” Aerith asked, pulling her purse over her shoulder. 

“You don’t have to ask. You basically live with us anyway.” 

“Yeah, I know,” Aerith continued. Cloud looked up to face her, but something behind her caught his eye. Someone was barreling around several shelves, nearly knocking one down. Just as he was about to yell at them, a glance at a familiar scar made Cloud shut his mouth. “I just don’t want-” 

Cutting her off, Cloud instantly ducked behind the counter, pushing himself against the shelves. Aerith shifted her weight onto her toes and leaned over the counter, looking dumbfounded. 

“What are you doing?” 

Cloud placed a finger to his lips, only confusing Aerith further. Footsteps rushed by, and as (who he assumed to be) Zack passed the counter next to them, Cloud got a glimpse of a large bag swinging out of view. It seemed he wasn’t noticed at all. He pushed himself back onto his feet, sighing with relief. As far as he knew, he had never seen Zack come through the store at all. Why now of all times? 

“What was that about?” Aerith asked, “You didn’t let me finish!” 

“Sorry, I just didn’t want him to see me.” 

Aerith tilted her head. “Wait, you know Zack?” 

“I mean, no, not really. I just-” He paused, scrunching his eyebrows, “How do _you_ know him?” 

“How do you _not?_ ” She retorted, placing her hands on her hips, “Do you pay attention to anything?”

“Nope.” Cloud gathered his things, shut off the computer, and stepped out of his work space. Aerith handed him his coffee.

“Zack Fair is the star of our football team!” 

“Well, unfortunately, he’s also my downstairs neighbor.” 

“Unfortunately? That’s a big deal!”

“No, it’s not.” 

“Cloud, he’s _cute_!” 

“And?” 

“You should get to know him!” 

“Not happening. He’s an asshole.” 

“Your definition of asshole is very vague.” 

“Please drop it.” Cloud sighed, “I don’t know him, and I don’t want to.” 

Aerith pouted, but didn’t say anything else. Instead, she wrapped her arm under Cloud’s so that they were locked together as they walked out of the store, and into the breeze of the afternoon. If it weren’t for his coffee, he would probably have a headache and an attitude. Aerith was trying to be nice - he knew that - but it only felt like salt in the wound. The thought of having to deal with Zack face to face again made him uneasy. Especially since Aerith pointed out that, yes, he is by definition conventionally attractive. That added more salt to the pile. Fortunately for him, repeating mundane tasks in a throwaway course seemed to take his frustration away from the idea of Zack, and replace it with a frustration towards the notes he had attempted to write down. 

* * *

The sun was past the point of setting by the time Cloud got out of his last class. His once white t-shirt was now covered in paint, but that was to be expected. The end of the semester was approaching, meaning that his assignments were getting harder and took longer. Much to his relief, his current project was progressing at a decent pace, and surprisingly he hadn’t had a mental breakdown over it. Yet. Regardless, sacrificing a few spare t-shirts for an A wasn’t a big deal. 

The ten minute walk from the art building to his apartment felt like nothing. Evenings were starting to get cooler which felt great after being inside a stuffy building. As he approached his apartment complex, Cloud pulled out his ID and scanned it to get in. Searching for his keys, he pressed himself into the hallway wall so that he could balance his backpack on his knee. After a few seconds of fumbling in his bag, he pulled them out and swung his bag back over his shoulder. Cloud heard the complex door open behind him, so he dipped out of the way of whoever was coming in and went into the staircase. Just as he was about to reach the first step, someone called out to him, causing his entire body to tense. 

“Yo, blondie!” 

_Of course. Of-fucking-course._

“How’s it going?” 

Cloud whipped around, grimaced, and jangled his apartment keys in Zack’s direction, as if that was an answer. He started walking up the stairs once more, this time more deliberately. 

“Hey, wait! I never got your name the other night.” 

Cloud huffed. “And you never will.” 

“Why not? I just-”

“Have a good night.” 

“Wait, are you an art student?” 

Cloud froze halfway up the stairs. He attempted to cover his shirt with his backpack, but Zack had clearly already seen the paint stains. His ears started to turn hot at the idea of Zack staring at him, trying to figure him out. 

He stumbled on the words, “N-no I’m not.” and then promptly inhaled his words to shut himself up. Zack barked out a laugh, making Cloud feel even worse. His eyebrows furrowed as he glared at Zack, fists clenched. He didn’t even give Zack the honor of having a “fuck you” thrown his way before running up the steps, desparate to get out of there. His horrible attempt of a lie was on replay in his head. 

“Wait, I’m sorry!” He tried to tune out the voice behind him and focused on getting to his apartment door. Cloud fumbled with the keys for a solid thirty seconds before finally swinging open the door, slamming it behind him, and throwing himself onto the couch face first. He wanted to scream his heart out, but wasting his energy wasn’t worth it. 

“Hey Cloud.” The voice startled him upright. “You good?” 

Jessie was munching on a cookie, giving a blank stare that Cloud could never properly read. He brushed his hair away from his face and sat up fully, leaning his head against the back of the couch. 

“I’m fine.” 

“Alright.” She shrugged, “Oh, someone left something for you. It’s on the counter.” 

“Huh?” 

Jessie moved towards the kitchen counter, grabbing a plastic box that was full of the cookies she had just been eating. She plopped it into his lap. Cloud noticed a sticky note on the top. 

_Sorry for the other night! Here are some cookies._

_Tell Blondie I’m especially sorry :)_

_-Zack_

Groaning with disgust, Cloud swiped the sticky note off of the box, ripped it in half, crumpled it, and threw it across the room. He couldn’t tell if his face was hot from anger or embarrassment. Either way, it was obvious Zack Fair was a fucking curse, and Cloud had a _horrible_ feeling that he was not going to be able to get rid of it anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient with the update! Hope you enjoy :]

The air was getting much colder now that the days in November steadily passed. Before he left the apartment, Cloud pushed his scarf above his chin so that his mouth and the tip of his nose were shielded from the morning chill. The commute to and from his job was not his idea of fun but, then again, quiet early mornings were something to be savored before campus got crowded. He took a breath before bracing the cold and pushed open the exit door. With one earbud in, he started his ascent up the hill that led to the student union. His path was always the same: past the football field, the gymnasium, and into the main campus through one of the back sidewalks no one ever used. 

His music acted as background noise for the birds nearby, and, briefly, he saw a chipmunk scampering up a tree. It was a good start to his day, despite the chill biting at his face. As Cloud walked, his gaze wandered from his feet towards the football field that was shining from a fresh layer of dew. A few people lazily runned across the terf, throwing a ball back and forth and sharing a laugh. Cloud watched them for a moment, wondering how they were possibly wearing short sleeves in the bitter cold. He supposed you would get used to it after a while. The way they threw was quick and succinct; they had it down to a science, it seemed. One of them threw the ball too long and went to chase after it before the other person could. 

“Sorry, I’ll get it!” 

“Get your head in it, Zack!” 

Cloud flinched at the name, promptly throwing the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and hoped neither of them had seen him watching. He shoved his other earbud in, somewhat forcefully, and quickly strolled away, attempting to tune out the voices with music. _Of course he would be there,_ Cloud thought, _he’s a football player. You knew that._ Despite his scarf slipping from his face, he hurried through the cold, trying to avoid other people doing the same. Once he knew he was out of view, Cloud exhaled and followed his path towards the coffee shop connected to the union. 

Sometimes, if he was early enough, Wedge would sneak him a free cup of coffee before his shift. Maybe it would make it a bit more bearable. Cloud slipped through the doors as someone else exited, and through the glass he saw Wedge putting pastries in the display window. There was only one person waiting by the counter for their coffee, otherwise it was dead. Cloud came up to the window and tapped on it, startling Wedge who nearly dropped the muffin in his hand. 

“Cloud!” Wedge exclaimed, setting the pastry aside, “Bro, I thought someone took your shift this morning?” 

“Yeah, well, I was hoping it was early enough that I could cop a free coffee. If it’s not too much trouble.” 

“Ah, I gotcha bro!” He gave Cloud a thumbs up, “The usual?”

“Yeah, thanks Wedge.” 

“No problem!” 

Cloud stepped aside and leaned his weight on the counter, watching the flow of students come and go. A few people sat in the small tables by the windows, all on their phones or laptops in complete silence. Winter really was coming fast, Cloud thought. The weather seemed to have an effect on people - it quieted down an otherwise busy campus. Which, to be honest, Cloud wasn’t complaining about. The less annoyances the better. He was lucky to have a close group of friends to stick by when other interactions were a pain. 

“Here you go!” Wedge said, handing Cloud the cup of coffee. It was hot to the touch, but a comfort nonetheless. 

“Thank you, this will make my day easier.”

“Happy to help! See you later?”

“Yeah.” Cloud lifted the cup in Wedge’s direction, as if to wave. “See you.” 

* * *

His class was practically as boring as his shift. Their professor droned on about something-or-other while most of the class acted like they were taking notes on their laptops. Cloud sat in the back corner, watching most of them scroll through social media or shopping sites. He would try to jot down a few notes every now and then, but inevitably got distracted by something on his screen. He scrolled for what felt like forever, reading a ton of posts but not remembering any of them. Cloud considered texting Aerith to see what she was up to, but didn’t want to be a bother if she was also in class. Plus, after their conversation the previous day, he didn’t want her to bring _him_ up again. She would definitely try to talk him into introducing himself. 

_“Zack Fair is the star of our football team!”_

_“Cloud, he’s cute!”_

_“You should get to know him!”_

Cloud could hear her voice so clearly in his head, he nearly groaned out loud. Fortunately, she had taken the hint and didn’t talk about him again that day. Yet, for some reason, her words kept… getting under his skin. His thoughts kept cycling, barely giving him room to breathe. Cloud heaved a sigh, thumping his finger on the desk. _Football star, huh?_

Cloud stared at his laptop for several seconds. Just because he wanted to know more, that didn’t make him interested in him, right? Right. Curiosity finally getting the better of him, Cloud went to their school’s website and typed in Zack’s name. Posts and articles about their team’s wins and rankings seemed to go on forever. After scrolling for a minute, he came across an article titled: _Zack Fair Transfers to MU After Leg Injury._ He clicked on the link, scrolling through its content. 

_“After dealing with a tough leg injury which prohibited him from playing for the rest of the season, GC’s football star Zack Fair decides to transfer to MU to hopefully pursue football again once he has recovered. Fair explained that he felt like he needed to get away from his hometown, and ‘explore other possibilities.’”_

The rest of the article was useless fluff about how much his school was going to miss him, and how their wins would probably decrease because of Zack’s absence. Cloud frowned. _Transferring because of a leg injury? That it?_ He wondered, re-reading some of the information to see if he missed anything. But he didn’t. Why did he care, anyway? Cloud clicked away from the page and shut his laptop, choosing instead to stare at the clock until it was time to leave. The more he stared, the longer the seconds got.

He texted Aerith anyway. 

* * *

It was truly a pain in the ass that it was a Friday. Cloud had little faith that the frat boys in their apartment complex would keep quiet, even for a minute. His art class had gotten out later than usual, and it was already a self-described _late class_ , so all of his energy had fled from his body by the time he put on his coat. What was left was channeled into preparing for another frustrated, sleepless night. Cloud almost considered sleeping on a couch in the academic building. Almost. Instead, he begrudgingly walked home, hoping that he would be wrong for once in his life. But, like clockwork, the sound of bottles and horrible EDM filled the hallway as soon as he entered. The only silver lining was the fact that he was warm. Cloud leaned against the wall, pulling out his phone. 

**|| C: Don’t be surprised if you come back to me being convicted of homicide.**

**|| C: Hope your date is going well though.**

Cloud saw the typing bubble pop up a few seconds later. 

**|| T: That bad, huh? Aerith and I will pay for your bail**

**|| C: Thanks lol**

Cloud was about to type something else when a breeze swept through the hallway. He glanced over to see someone walking in. Well, more like hobbling in. The guy did not seem sober. Cloud shifted uncomfortably as he started walking closer. He cleared his throat, hoping the drunkard would divert his path down another hallway, or maybe wander off to a different door. But he just kept getting closer. 

“Hey man,” His words were slurred, “You wanna come over to my buddy’s place?” 

“Uh, no. I’m good.” 

“Ya sure?” 

Cloud shuffled to the other side of the hallway, close to the flight of stairs. Before he could even take one step, the man stumbled over and roughly wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. Cloud could smell the alcohol from his breath as he laughed. He tried to pull out of his grasp, but it was surprisingly tight for someone so drunk. He felt his heart rate catapult the harder he tried to pull away. 

“Let go, please.” He muttered, prying the hand off of him, “Just trying to get home.” 

“Come on dude, don’t be like that! It’ll be fun!” 

Cloud pushed at the man’s torso harder, and he started to tumble backwards. Cloud quickly attempted to make an escape but a rough grab at his wrist sent him into a sudden panic. He whipped his body back around, seething.

“I said _let go!!_ ” He yelled, ripping away from his grip. The student stumbled backwards and fell onto his back with a _thump_. He heard a door open nearby. As much as he wanted to run, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. This was humiliating. Someone came around the corner and leaned down towards the drunk student, noticing Cloud’s presence not a second later. He saw a familiar hat. 

Zack. It was Zack. Of all the times in the world it had to be Zack. 

“What’s going on?” He directed the question towards Cloud, who still _couldn’t fucking breathe._ He balled the front of his shirt in his fist, trying to get his heart to slow down. Being touched so forcefully wasn’t an enjoyable feeling. He honestly felt repulsed. Regardless, he tried to swallow the fear so that he could answer. 

“He kinda just grabbed me out of nowhere.” He managed, "Sorry."

"Do you know him?"

"No." 

Zack nodded and returned his attention to the guy attempting to sit up. Zack helped him by lifting his back with his palm. 

Zack asked him, “Where do you live?”

“C.” 

“Building C?” The student nodded, “Alright. I’ll walk you there.” 

Zack heaved the man to his feet and slowly led him towards the exit door. Cloud knew this was his best shot to make a break for it. He leapt halfway up the stairs, the safety of his room just beyond the stairwell, but his thoughts caught up to him. Abruptly frozen in place, he realized this wasn’t fair of him, though he didn’t want to admit it. A ‘thank you’ wouldn’t do any harm. Cloud begrudgingly walked back down, sat on the second step, and watched Zack walk towards building C through the glass door. He pulled his knees to his chest, still feeling hot from embarrassment. In any other circumstance, he would’ve been able to stand up to someone like that. He was physically strong and capable of handling similar situations, as long as they weren't his own. Hell, he’d gotten into fights before and made it unscathed. But the way he was grabbed instantly brought up unpleasant memories. And he hated how vulnerable he felt in moments like those. 

Zack re-entered the building and jogged towards him, rubbing his hands together to warm up. Cloud quickly stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. 

“Um, thank you. Sorry for the trouble.”

Zack dismissed him with his hand, “No problem at all. I’m sorry I didn’t get out here sooner.” 

Cloud’s face instantly stung, embarrassment probably written all over his face. 

“All good.” 

“Cloud, right?” 

His eyes shot up to meet Zack’s, who gave him a big, awkward grin. 

“How did-” 

“The art department is small, so I looked it up. One of your drawings was on the main page!” 

"That's..."

He clenched his jaw. This school really liked to fuck with him at the most inconvenient times.

“Well, thanks again.” He took a step backwards, making sure he wouldn’t fall, “Have a good night.” 

“Hold on,” Zack interjected, “You owe me at least one hangout. For saving your life!” 

“That’s a reach.” 

“I promise we won’t be loud, we don’t even have to drink!” 

“Have a good night.” Cloud repeated through gritted teeth. Zack gave him a defeated look, his smile deflating, and Cloud couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt when the light left Zack’s eyes. 

_God dammit._

Audibly sighing, Cloud mumbed, “I’ll consider it.” 

Like a puppy getting a treat, Zack’s spirits lifted immediately, and he victoriously clapped his hands together. Cloud elected to ignore the fact that his heart skipped a beat.

“You mean it?” 

“No promises.” 

“But there’s still a chance! Can I get your number?” 

“Nope.” Cloud said flatly, “But I live right above you. Figure it out.” 

“Challenge accepted!”

“ _Goodnight._ ” He emphasized, running up the steps. The second he got to his door, he banged his forehead onto the wood. He shouldn't have gave in like that so easily, but Zack's stupid face brought it out of him. There had to be a way out of this, right? He wouldn’t actually let himself hang out with Zack Fair, right? He pulled his phone out again.

**|| C: I’m stupid Tifa. I am literally so stupid.**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it so far :) 
> 
> I will try to update this at a regular pace!


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